


Yakumama

by Tarlan



Category: Boa vs. Python (2004), Thoughtcrimes (2003)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Hewligan, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-11
Updated: 2008-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-20 17:47:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/215435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emmett is forced to help the US government with another giant snake problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yakumama

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **smallfandomfest #3** and ALSO: **hewligan_100** Table Prompt #43: Thought

"Your exceptional work has brought you to our attention, Dr. Emmett."

"Well, that's very nice and if you'd like to leave a contact name and address I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience."

The handsome man chuckled but Emmett could see the humor never reached the hazel eyes. "Unfortunately, doctor, we require your services immediately."

"And if I say no?"

"You don't really have a choice."

Emmett looked around the now empty symposium and sighed. Even if he kicked up a fuss there was no one left to take notice and the bulge of a hand gun holstered beneath the man's armpit deterred him from simply making a run for it. Not that hot-guy would try to kill him but Emmett had formed an aversion to guns since the Philadelphia incident last year, and flame throwers. The only gun he liked these days carried tranquilizer darts.

"If you'd like to come this way, we have a car waiting outside."

He sighed and slumped in resignation, gathering up the last of the presentation material and placing it in a tattered old briefcase that had once belonged to his father. As soon as he was ready, he raised an arm in an 'after you' gesture that had hot-guy smiling but shaking his head.

"No, doctor. After you."

A slightly younger, similarly dressed man, who looked like an extra from 'Men in Black', led the way out of the symposium hall and Emmett trudged behind, well aware of hot-guy at his back who had already made several aborted attempts towards that holstered gun before they started for the exit. Even though hot-guy was flicking his gaze all around, seeking out any hostility, Emmett could still feel the weight of those sharp, intelligent eyes on his back as they took the stairs down to the parking garage beneath the building.

Emmett refrained from rolling his eyes when a nondescript car with dark tinted windows drew up and the back door opened. He was ushered in, a firm hand placed on his shoulder pushing him down when he hesitated a fraction too long. He did give an irritated glare when hot-guy kept pushing, forcing him to the center of the back seat as the two men climbed in, one on either side of him, negating any possibility of simply opening the door and jumping out at the first set of traffic lights.

His abductors made no attempt to blindfold him, not interested in hiding their route from him, and Emmett was uncertain if he ought to feel worried about that. Then the reason became clear when the car turned off onto a dirt track leading towards a strip of land used as a private runway.

"Oh no." He took off his seat belt and leaned across hot-guy to grab at the door handle. "I'm not going any further until I can make arrangements for my--"

Hot-guy shoved him back in his seat just as the younger man's hand tightened on his shoulder, dragging him backwards. Emmett struggled a little more.

"I have responsibilities towards--"

"And I have a greater responsibility towards my employer, doctor."

The car came to a halt just inside the open hangar. Hot-guy got out and Emmett reacted quickly, intending to run this time, but misjudged it entirely and ended up in a sprawled heap on top of hot-guy, dirtying what had been a fairly expensive, well-fitting suit.

"Goddammit!" Hot-guy exclaimed, attempting to free himself from the tangle of arms and legs, his face turning red with embarrassment at the soft feminine laughter coming from a few feet away.

As they were disentangled, Emmett gave another deep sigh of annoyance, though he had to admit he'd enjoyed the feel of firm muscle and a strong body beneath him for those few seconds. He winced, wondering if Stockholm Syndrome should be coming on that fast, or whether he really ought to have taken up his ex-lover's proposition to get back together. He'd not gotten laid since Monica went back to Florida, and that was seven months ago after a whirlwind romance that proved that, sometimes, sex with a blond bombshell with a huge lung capacity was simply not enough, intelligent or otherwise. Perhaps it was time he admitted that he preferred being fucked to doing the fucking.

The woman started sniggering behind her hand making Emmett wonder what she was laughing at now so he turned his attention to hot-guy.

With his hair even more mussed by the embarrassing tangle, and his tie loosened to reveal curls of dark hair on his chest, hot-guy looked impossibly hotter. Emmett felt his mouth go dry because this guy was exactly his type. He liked his women blond and smooth, and his men dark and hairy, and that looked like a nice tangle to run his hands through as he played hunt the nipple with his tongue....and judging by the size of his feet, which wasn't a total urban myth, there was probably a good-sized cock to stand proud from a thick bush or dark pubic hair.

The woman burst out laughing again, clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle the hysterics, and Emmett started to wonder what the joke could be because he couldn't see anything particularly funny about the state of either him or hot-guy, except maybe hot-guy's messy hair.

They bundled him up the short flight of steps into the private jet and shoved him, admittedly with some care and respect, into a seat partway down and by the window, blocking off his escape route yet again. Hot-guy sat down beside him in the wide, luxurious seats, and Emmett had to admit that being taken hostage did have another advantage as it was far more comfortable than traveling coach.

"At least let me call the institute to arrange for someone to go feed the animals," Emmett part-begged, part-demanded as his concern for Betty grew along with the rising pitch of the engines.

A small female hand rested on his shoulder from the seat behind.

"It's already taken care of, doctor."

"By taken care of, I don't suppose you mean--" He couldn't say it, hoping they hadn't simply destroyed all his work - and Betty - or loaded her up into a transport to steal away to some other research station.

"Betty won't be harmed." Strangely, that wasn't reassuring because it didn't answer his second concern. "You should try to get some rest, Dr. Emmett. The flight will take at least five hours."

Emmett stared out the small window as the plane took off, and if he did happen to savor hot-guy's reflection covertly then that was for him to know alone, though he did wonder what had triggered another giggling fit in the woman seated behind him.

****

Brendan sighed and moved out of his seat carefully so as not to disturb Emmett's sleep. He had to admit that the guy looked cute with his face softened in sleep and long eyelashes almost brushing his scruffy cheeks. There was something about that crooked mouth too, the downward slant almost begging for someone to kiss it straight.

Freya clamped down on another giggle and followed him towards the back of the plane where two other NSA agents sat close on guard duty but not so close that they could overhear her conversation with her partner.

"So, hot-guy," she said warmly and Brendan raised his eyebrows, wondering if she was referring to him or Emmett because the guy was seriously hot in Brendan's eyes. "He thinks he's been abducted."

"Well...technically, he has. We had orders not to tell him who we are, what we want with him, or where we're going, and he had no choice in the matter. Plus he's Canadian not American so...Yeah, technically, we have abducted him, or rather, Uncle Sam has abducted him."

"He thinks you're hot. Smoking hot!"

Brendan flushed with embarrassment and even if he couldn't have told by the twinkle in her eyes that she'd read his thoughts, her fit of laughter back at the hangar was a giveaway. It had been far too long since he'd had a broad-shouldered guy with an ass to die for lying on top of him, even if they had both been fully dressed at the time. Damn, but he'd followed Emmett all the way to the parking garage and had trouble keeping his eyes off those wide shoulders tapering down to a beautiful, firm ass and muscular legs. Only his determination to carry out his duty and protect Emmett had forced his eyes to pay more attention to any potential danger lurking in the vicinity, and that included any danger coming from Emmett, though Brendan knew he wouldn't be human - and gay - if he hadn't felt his eyes sliding over Emmett's body in less than subtle appreciation occasionally.

Learning that Emmett thought he was equally hot was both a blessing and a curse because neither of them were in a position to do anything about it. Brendan had no intention of risking his career by joining the mile high club on a plane filled with Government agents, not even for that fine piece of ass. He returned to his seat and spent more than a few minutes watching Emmett sleep, feeling his resolve weakening as those eyelashes fluttered and opened sleepily. Emmett sat up and stretched out the kinks in his back.

"How long did I sleep?"

"A few hours, but you looked like you needed it."

"Hmm. I was up most of last night finalizing my presentation for today's symposium."

"On snakes."

"On giant snakes."

"Yeah, you were the one brought in to deal with that outsize python that got loose in Philadelphia last year."

"Hmm. And I'm assuming that's why I've been forced here against my will."

"I guess there's no reason to avoid the introductions now. Agent Brendan Dean."

Brendan held out his hand and after a moment of wary contemplation, Emmett grasped it, his hand warm and strong in Brendan's. The simple touch sent a jolt of desire straight south to Brendan's groin. He found himself looking directly at Emmett and all those flowery Harlequin nonsense about drowning in someone's eyes suddenly made sense because Emmett's eyes were as clear and blue as the Indian Ocean. Brendan cleared his throat and broke eye contact before he really made a fool of himself.

He spent the rest of the flight discovering that Emmett was seriously hot in other ways too, learning that they had a lot of common ground and by the time the plane landed, Brendan knew it could never have been casual sex between them. He wanted more than that. Instead, he escorted Emmett by car from the airstrip to a building set in the middle of nowhere, miles outside of Las Vegas, feeling a little despondent when forced to say goodbye despite saying he'd look Emmett up in Elkins.

****

Emmett grinned as he watched the giant anaconda slither through its enclosure. It had to be at least as big as Betty but this one had been captured in the wild, down in South America. According to the records it had killed a number of people, including a professional snake hunter, before someone had managed to tranquilize it and transport it to the US. Fortunately, a US border patrol had spotted the attempt to smuggle the giant anaconda into the country before they had a repeat of the python disaster on their hands. Rather than destroying the snake outright, they had contacted the relevant US department and had the snake flown up to this remote government installation.

The director of the installation, Houseman, looked to Emmett with a mixture of excitement and entreaty. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Emmett shook his head. "Not on your life. I raised Betty from an egg. She knows my scent, but this one will only see me as its next meal."

Houseman looked crestfallen for a moment. "Recommendations?"

Emmett glanced away towards the biologist who'd been placed in charge of the project and who had insisted on bringing Emmett here at any cost, including what was tantamount to abduction. He had to admit that the anaconda was beautiful but Emmett could tell from the unevenly thick and long tail that it had hemipenes and was, therefore, a male. Unless they could find an equally large female then the chances of breeding another giant anaconda from this one was slim. He sighed heavily. His first instinct was to preserve the snake, to study it, even if that was in the closed environment of a laboratory rather than in its natural habitat but he recalled the giant python that had infiltrated the water treatment plant and terrorized Philadelphia. That snake had been grown in a laboratory by the Russians and then sold to the highest bidder - Broddick - when it was no longer of any military interest. There was no guarantee that this one would not meet the same end and Emmett didn't want to be the one responsible for more deaths.

If he'd had an additional secure room at Longreen then he might have offered to take the anaconda from them, but he would never risk putting such a dangerous snake in anything less than a high security laboratory like Betty's or the one here at... wherever they were.

"The natives call this snake _Yakumama_ , meaning _deity of the river_." Emmett placed his hand against the glass separating him form the giant anaconda. "My recommendation? Take him back to South America... or destroy him."

Houseman cleared his throat. "No offense, doctor, but we'd prefer to take a third option, and study... him?... instead. We've taken the liberty of readying your giant scarlet boa for transport here, in case you needed to study them side-by-side."

Emmett glared at Houseman even though he suspected this might happen. "The Longreen--"

"Will survive better without your drain on their finite resources, doctor." Houseman drew himself up. "We're willing to offer you this unique opportunity to study a giant snake that was not genetically modified in a laboratory. The military has its own reasons for wanting to see you develop your universal anti-venom, Dr. Emmett, and our funding far outstrips any grants you will find on the symposium circuit."

Emmett knew a tempting offer when he heard it, especially as Houseman was right about the decreasing lack of funding for his life's work. Monica had shown him how generous the military could be when they saw potential in a project, such as her trained dolphins. Snakes were a different matter altogether though as they could not be tamed the same way as a mammal. Betty was an exception only because she saw him as one of her own kind, having scented him around her all of her life.

Looking back through the viewing window at the anaconda, Emmett knew he would be a fool to say no to the offer, so he nodded. As he shook Houseman's hand, he wondered if he should have asked for Agent Brendan Dean as a 'deal sweetener'.

****

_Cordoba will kill her if I do not get his drugs from the belly of the beast._

Freya frowned as she caught a snippet of a thought going on in the head of a nervous-looking man entering the installation as they were coming out. She stared back at the man but the security guard had waved the man through without any real concern. Still, the thoughts had held an edge of desperation, which made her feel very uneasy. She turned to Brendan.

"Does the name Cordoba and drugs mean anything to you?"

His eyes narrowed as they carried on walking. "Thiago Cordoba is a Brazilian drug lord with strong Columbian connections, mostly cocaine, some heroin. Heard there was a big shipment coming in but it never materialized. DEA thought they'd missed it somehow but nothing's hit the streets. Why?"

Freya had stopped dead, forcing Brendan to stop too. She turned and stared back at the building, her sense of unease growing as the words took on a more sinister meaning. "That man who just went in. I heard his thoughts. Cordoba will kill her if I do not get his drugs from the belly of the beast."

She saw Brendan's eyes take on that slightly distant look as he rewound the scene and replayed it with what she knew was an extraordinary visual memory. What surprised her more was that he projected another thought strongly, one that featured the doctor they had just delivered to Houseman. Since the start of their partnership, he'd learned to block most of his thoughts from her and she'd learned not to deliberately eavesdrop but something about Emmett had made him lose control of that ability. If the situation hadn't just taken a more serious turn, then she might have considered it cute seeing him all mentally flustered around Emmett. Now, she could see the concern gnawing away at him as he walked back towards the installation's reception area, stripping him of any common sense. She grabbed at his arm.

"I know you like him but if there is something going on here then rushing in could get all of us killed...him included."

Brendan chewed on his lower lip in anguish but then straightened up and nodded. "Yeah."

She smiled and this time, she followed him as he moved more carefully into the reception area. The security guard frowned and stepped forward, not so keen to allow her and Brendan to pass without verification.

"Agent Dean?"

"The guy that just came through. Who was he?"

"Emilio?" The guard frowned. "He'd just the janitor."

Freya stepped up closer. "Is he married?"

"No. His wife died last year leaving him with just his little girl."

Freya exchanged a look with Brendan and sensed the inner turmoil. "I'll call Harper and check out the daughter while you assess the situation here." Brendan looked torn for a moment. "Go!"

"Okay!" the momentary burst of irritation faded. "Don't do anything until you have back-up."

"Same goes for you."

He nodded and they parted, each moving off in a different direction as Freya pulled out her cellphone and quickly made contact with their boss.

****

Left alone with the anaconda, Emmett sighed and leaned against the thick glass, watching the giant snake as it slithered into the water, disappearing until only its eyes could be seen above the surface. The enclosure was not ideal for a creature as large as this but someone had at least tried to make the snake comfortable by providing it with a habitat that had a wide, deep water-filled gully running around the outside edge. Anacondas preferred the water, using it as cover in their hunt for prey. He could see it watching him and wondered if its heat senses could penetrate the thick layer of glass standing between them or whether it was simply attracted by Emmett's movement in the room beyond.

Houseman had mentioned that the snake had eaten recently and Emmett knew from his experience with Betty that this would be the safest time to approach the anaconda, when its hunger was already sated. Yet he preferred not to make such a gamble until he had studied it for a lot longer.

The click from a safety catch of a gun being released had Emmett spinning round and he froze as a sweaty, nervous man stepped forward.

"You were not supposed to be here. No one was supposed to be here until tomorrow."

Emmett raised his hands, wanting to ensure this man knew he carried no weapons. "Whatever you need, I'm sure Director Houseman can come to some arrangement with you."

"No. He would not help me, and then she will die."

"Who will die?"

The man's eyes hardened. "It is of no concern to you. All I wish for is the snake. You will open the hatch for me and--"

"No. Going in there is suicide."

The man circled around until he was close to the window, the gun wavering a fraction as he looked through the glass and saw nothing but a few smaller snakes and animals. Houseman's people had placed them into the enclosure to give the anaconda something to hunt should it digest its current meal faster than they had assumed.

"It is not so big!"

Emmett frowned because, from where he was standing on the other end of the large window, he could not see the anaconda at all. It had disappeared under the water completely but the man must have seen something even if he didn't look or sound nearly as impressed as most people who spotted a giant snake for the first time. The majority of people were wide-eyed and speechless with shock upon seeing Betty for the first time.

"You are snake expert, yes?" Emmett nodded reluctantly. "Then _you_ will go in and get the snake."

"I don't believe Dr. Emmett wants to do that, Emilio." Both Emmett and the man holding a gun on him turned at the softly drawled words. "So maybe you should put down the gun."

"You do not understand. I have no choice."

"Thiago Cordoba," Brendan stated, and Emilio's gun sagged a little in his hand.

"He will kill my daughter if I do not get him the drugs from the snake." The man gave Brendan an imploring look. "Please, I have already lost her mother. I cannot lose her as well."

"Where's he holding her?"

"At our home."

"Then let us deal with this."

Emmett could see Emilio wavering, recognizing that he was a good man caught in a terrible place and felt empathy for the man when he whispered, "She is so young."

Brendan had slowly moved forward as he spoke, and Emmett was astute enough to remain quiet, letting the man forget all about him. He held his breath as Brendan reached out and took the gun from Emilio's hand, only letting it back out when the danger had passed. The man turned away, gazing back through the window into the enclosure only to step back in shock as the anaconda reared up from the water and smacked against the strong glass surface.

"This...I do not..." Emilio turned wide eyes on Emmett. "I thought this..." He pointed back inside just as the ten foot python was snapped up in the anaconda's jaws.

"And you're saying it has a belly-full of cocaine?" Brendan asked before raising a questioning eyebrow at Emmett. "I guess it ate the mule."

Emmett looked back at the anaconda and sighed because, sooner or later, those drugs would get into the snake's system and, despite its size, the chances are that it would overdose and die. They needed to tranquilize the anaconda and operate as soon as possible if they were to save it.

While Brendan dealt with Emilio, Emmett picked up the phone and contacted Houseman but he couldn't resist looking across, aware that Brendan had probably saved his life today.

****

Brendan watched as Emmett slumped back into his chair within the conference room, looking exhausted after several hours operating on a snake followed by this long meeting. The others were already filing out, having discussed the incident and the drugs Emmett had removed from the anaconda.

In hindsight, Brendan wished he hadn't watched that part but the absence of any DEA agents had made him the next best thing to drug enforcement. Someone had to be present to ensure all the drugs were removed and placed in a secure container to be evaluated and then destroyed. Cordoba would not be seeing any of this haul. The problem was that the drugs had been inside a courier who had been attacked and eaten by the anaconda, and the partially digested remains were still all too recognizably human in shape. Certainly, it was the most bizarre incident of drug smuggling that Brendan had heard about but, obviously, Cordoba had seen the financial benefit of transporting the giant anaconda to the highest bidder so long as he got his drugs back after the hunt and kill. The only question remaining was who had ordered the snake? Broddick was dead but he had not been the only multi-millionaire with a hunting and gaming habit.

A coroner had taken over the retrieval of the packets of drugs swallowed by the partially digested courier, leaving Emmett to close up the anaconda and monitor its recovery. The respect and attention Emmett had shown towards the snake had been a major turn on though, seeing those broad fingers stroking the anesthetized snake, hand gliding along the slightly iridescent scales as he crooned soft words of encouragement and reassurance. He'd wondered how it would feel to have those hands smoothing over his body instead, and hearing Emmett's pleasure-sated voice whispering in his ear as they rocked together.

"You okay," he asked, and Emmett offered a crooked smile.

"Mostly." He fidgeted nervously. "I wanted to thank you for talking Emilio into putting down the gun rather than..."

Brendan smiled softly because he'd not needed to be a mind reader like Freya to realize Emilio had been both frightened and desperate. Cordoba's men had been holding the daughter hostage at their home, and Freya had led a team to a successful release. Still, without knowing what was happening to his daughter, it could have led to a tense situation with Emilio unwilling to give up Emmett as a means to obtain the drugs from within the anaconda. He might have become desperate enough to shoot his own hostage or, worse, to force Emmett to go into the secure habitat to retrieve the drugs, not realizing the extent of the danger for anyone, even a highly respected herpetologist.

Recalling Freya's teasing back on the jet, Brendan licked his lips nervously and decided to take a chance that Emmett still considered him a _hot-guy_.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Emmett raised both eyebrows in surprise before his eyes narrowed in interest, a soft smile playing about his lips. "Is this a pick up, or just a drink?"

Some of Brendan's courage failed him. "What do you want it to be?"

"Vodka...and then bed with you."

Brendan knew he had a stupid grin plastered on his face as he pushed up from his chair and then moved round the conference table until he was standing between Emmett's splayed thighs. He pressed his hands down on the broad shoulders and leaned in, brushing his lips across Emmett's in a chaste kiss.

"Oh I think that can be arranged, Dr. Emmett."

****

Emmett never discussed Brendan's NSA assignments and he never asked about the bruises and scars marring his otherwise perfect skin on those occasions when Brendan's visit was more for recuperation than a vacation. Instead he treasured every minute, rearranging his own schedule in the laboratory so he could spend as much time as possible with his lover.

He never questioned Brendan's fidelity either, knowing he was the only one that mattered to Brendan, feeling it in the warmth of Brendan's hands as they worshiped his body. And he knew he was loved, hearing the words in every brush of lips, in every sigh pressed against him in the throes of passion, and in every moan of pleasure as Brendan sank into his body and claimed him time and time again.

Only the thought of parting - each back to the life work that they had chosen - marred their time together but one day Brendan would decide he'd been in the field long enough, and then there'd be no thought of parting ever again.

END


End file.
